Plastic injection moulding comes with a range of advantages. It is one of the most popular methods for developing plastic parts including fasteners. Injection moulded parts are noted for their flexibility. The plastic within the mould is pressed extremely tightly, with CAD enabling minute details to be added and supporting complex designs.
It can take some time to set up machines, but the moulding process is very swift once these steps have been taken. When presses have been programmed and injection moulds have been designed, the moulding process can produce a substantial number of parts. Cycle times can be as short as 15 seconds. Fillers can be added to moulds to reduce the density of plastic whilst strengthening the moulded part.
It is possible to include different plastic types at the same time thanks to co-injection moulding. In co-injection moulding, two compatible materials are added to a single mould. This boosts strength, reduces expense and can result in reduced energy use. This is down to the reduced melting point of the secondary plastic. It is possible to change the materials and colours of parts at any point after injection moulds are produced. Recycled plastics can be used in the process, with high tolerances reducing waste.
Much of the process is carried out by computers and other systems which can be operated by just one operator. This can cut down labour costs substantially. In most cases, only a small amount of post-production labour work is needed. In plastic injection moulding, the plastic material is fed into a heated barrel. Once the material is mixed, it is added to a mould cavity so it can take shape and become hardened.
Plastic injection moulding is renowned for its accuracy, and it’s possible to fabricate virtually any kind of plastic part using the process. You can normally expect accuracy within 0.0005 inches. It can also help you reduce your carbon footprint. You don’t need to use any more plastic than is strictly necessary to produce parts, and leftover plastic can easily be ground up and recycled for another production run. Plastic injection moulding is ideal for those requiring products of considerable strength, thanks to the addition of fillers. Most parts produced via the plastic injection moulding process require little or no finishing, with the quality of the surface being extremely high once it leaves the mould.
Another key benefit of plastic injection moulding is that is much more affordable than plastic machining over the long-term. Although the cost to create the initial mould can be sizeable, you can create a large number of components for a modest price, up to 25 times cheaper than what you would pay for parts produced via plastic machining. Once your parts have been through the plastic injection moulding process, they will require next to no work.
At Regina Industries, we can come to your assistance if you are in need of plastic injection moulding services. We have been in the business since 1950, though our history can be traced back to 1888. The father of our company founder Mr Gerhard Schuller was the son of W. Schuller, who pioneered the Schuller Updrawing process for the manufacturing of glass tubing. We are based in Newcastle-under-Lyme and serve customers and clients across the country and the world. You can count on us to go the extra mile to beat your expectations ever time, with all our procedures meeting the ISO9001:2015 standard. We create a range of plastic products including plastic tubes and plastic test tubes.
We use a wide range of popular plastic materials, including polythene, polypropylene and polystyrene as well as engineering polymers like polycarbonate, acetal and nylon. We are confident we can meet your application requirements regardless of its complexity, thanks to the high standard of our technical know-how and technology. Our manufacturing base is home to 26 moulding machines ranging from 22 to 150 tonnes, with < 1gm to 300gm shot weight.
Our processes enable the inclusion of complex geometry and features of incredible detail. We use a highly efficient manufacturing process to deliver the right results and use a range of appropriate polymers to enhance the strength of your parts. What’s more is that the processes are 100% repeatable for further orders, with colour and surface finish built-in.
To find out more about our plastic injection moulding services, simply get in touch today. You can reach us by calling us on 01782 565 646 or by sending a message to sales@regina.co.uk.